Strength and A Thousand Faces
by Thalia Kendall
Summary: *DONE!* Lita Woods and Nicholas Steller, Agents Jupiter and Nephrite, on a mission against a serial killer!
1. Prologue

Hello! I'm back on track again, everyone, thanks for those who emailed with their support.  
  
As always, disclaimers apply. Blah...  
  
***  
  
The two men stood under the silvery-green eucalyptus trees. One held a rifle, the other a chainsaw. Both were big  
and burly, and carried machetes at their belts. All in all, they did not look like people to mess with.   
  
They were standing in the virgin forest of the Australian outback, and judging from the mean, ugly sneers on their  
faces, they were obviously not supposed to be there. The man with the chainsaw approached a tall, beautiful tree.  
High in its branches, there was a mother koala, its baby clinging to its back. The chainsaw man jerked his head at  
his companion, who raised his gun and aimed.  
  
All of the sudden, a rustle in the branches behind them suddenly magnified into a swooping breeze, and a pair of  
strong, slim, muscular legs enclosed in khaki shorts and sturdy brown hiking boots kicked out in opposite directions,  
knocking both men to the ground, rifle and chainsaw flying out of their hands with the sheer force of the kicks to  
their backs. Dazed, the man with the rifle looked up to see an astonishing sight.  
  
A tall, coppery-haired woman, wearing a white blouse, khaki vest and shorts, hiking boots, a safari hat and a pair  
of binoculars on her chest, standing a good six feet tall in her boots, looked down upon their startled faces with a  
pair of mocking green eyes hard and bright as emeralds. In one slender, slightly tanned hand, she grasped a smooth  
green vine, that she had obviously just swung down from. She was a beauty, but in such a way as Queen Hippolyta  
of the Amazons might have been beautiful. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw rifle-man's hand reach towards   
his dropped weapon, and quick as a flash of lightning, whipped out a small hunting knife from behind her back, and  
sent it hurtling towards the gun. The knife lodged right in the place where the trigger was, and effectively pinned   
the gun to the ground. The woman looked at both men with a half-smirk on her feminine, one rosy-bronze eyebrow  
quirked challengingly.  
  
"You men DO know that felling trees and killing wildlife in this forest is illegal, don't you?" She said in a low, silky but  
chilling purr. "Oh, how silly of me. You two make your living this way, how could I forget? Naughty, naughty..." As  
she was saying all this, her hands were flying behind her back, and as she finished her statements, those two hands  
once again appeared from behind her back, and in an instant, the men found their hands bound with lengths of black  
rope, similar to the type used to make cables for rock-climbers. The woman then leaned forward, and jerked them   
to their feet. Grinning at the mutinous expression on the face of the chainsaw man, she whispered, "I used to be a  
girl scout, and old habits die hard. Don't even try to untie it, you'll just end up chafing your hands. Let's hike." With  
that, she shoved the two with amazing strength forward, and gave a perfect whipporwill call. On cue, a lanky young  
man, with a full auburn beard and twinkling blue eyes stepped out of the shadows from behind another tree, and the  
woman nodded towards the chainsaw and rifle dropped on the ground. "Peter, let's get to the chopper."  
  
"Sure thing, Lita." Peter was obviously an Australian native, and cheerily picked up the fallen items. Then, smirking  
at the men that Lita had in tow, he led the way out of the forest towards a forest clearing, where a camouflaged  
heliocopter stood. Peter opened the door, and mockingly bowed rifle-man and chainsaw-man to their spots, where  
they were bound, and separated. Then, Lita got into the cockpit, and the chopper flew away from the middle of the  
Australian forest.  
  
~~~  
  
A month later, Lita, no longer wearing her wilderness gear and slightly less tanned, sat in a comfortable office. She  
was one of those rare people who could look equally at home in the woody wilderness and in the staid office. Now  
dressed in a forest green cowl-neck sweater that brought out her eyes and a pair of slim black jeans, Lita sat in a  
cream-colored armchair across from a dark-haired, business-suited woman who was rifling through a bunch of manila  
folders.  
  
"So, what have you done during your vacation, Leets?" The black-haired woman asked as she ransacked her filing  
cabinet. Lita shrugged.  
  
"Australia's beautiful this time of the year. It's summer there, and the outback is full of different types of landscapes   
and terrain. Plus, the aborigine culture is quite interesting." Lita said, her cheeks pinked with enthusiasm. "Luna, we  
should all go traveling there sometime. You and the rest of the girls too."  
  
Luna quirked an eyebrow. "Perhaps we shall, someday. Oh, and one thing." Luna fixed piercing brown eyes on Lita's   
face. "I got some news of some mystery woman foiling a bunch of land-rapers. The news report said that she was  
tall and had an American accent. Would you happen to know anything about that?" At that moment, she seemed to  
finally find the file she was looking for, and handed it to Lita.  
  
Lita shrugged. "Perhaps. So, I'm taking it that my newest assignment is in?" Luna nodded, and Lita opened up the  
folder. Her brow furrowed slightly as she read the contents.  
  
"Wilson Wiley, known as the Wiseman. Serial killer and kidnapper. Known to masquerade as professors in varied and  
numerous scientific fields. Victims always hard to find, expert in the wilderness despite old age and dimishing physical  
strength. What joy..."  
  
Luna nodded. "You're to work this case out with Agent Nephrite, I believe you met at that Christmas party at Darien  
and Serena White's mansion, after Amy and Agent Zoisite's case against Demando? Is that right? Lita? LITA?!" Luna  
stared at the junoesque young woman in front of her. Generally tomboyish and very down-to-earth, Lita now had a  
glazed look in her verdant eyes, and a tiny smile played at the corners of her rosebud lips. "Nicholas Steller..." She  
murmured softly. An image of a tall man, one who had a few inches even over her, with nut-brown hair spilling over  
his broad shoulders and dreamy eyes like sapphire stars, appeared in her mind, and Lita's pretty face was suffused  
with a hint of rose.  
  
Luna smirked, "Yes, that's him. Now, why don't I have Art Cato call him in, and you two can get acquainted." Lita  
nodded quickly, and Luna picked up her telephone. "Oh, and Lita, for heaven's sake, do try to spend your time with  
him WORKING, not flirting, no matter how attractive he is, okay?"  
  
Lita nodded automatically, a grin breaking out over her face. The other girls had found love. Maybe, just maybe, it   
was her turn at long last.  
  
***  
  
Woohoo!! Finished with the Prologue! More coming soon...  
  
REVIEW!!! 


	2. Chapter 1

Whew! Here's the next chapter of "Strength and A Thousand Faces"! Sorry for the delay, dear readers, but I'm working  
as quickly as possible!  
  
In any case, thanks to all who reviewed, I'm honored to have your support! *hugs*  
  
As always, the usual disclaimers apply.  
  
Moving onwards...  
  
***  
  
Lita was eating her lunch and shuffling through her files when a soft knock sounded on her door. "It's open." She called   
out through a mouthful of Chicken Julienne. She didn't bother wiping the sauce from the corner of her mouth or taking  
the pencil from behind her ear, figuring it was probably one of the girls.  
  
However, the door opened to reveal someone who was 6'3", broad-shouldered, blue-eyed, beautiful and most definitely  
male. Nicholas Steller peered in just in time to see the tall, green-eyed woman blush furiously and swipe at the corner  
of her rosebud lips with her hands. Hurriedly, she stood up, and pulled out a chair for him. "Oh, hi, I thought it was one  
of the girls. Sit down." She muttered distractedly, brushing at her lips and shoving the delicious-looking tupperware of  
chicken to the side on her desk.   
  
Nephrite watched her silently, half in amusement, half in admiration. He'd met Lita once before, at that party at those  
two clients of Zack and Mercury's, they'd talked a bit, and had gotten along fairly well, although they still barely knew  
each other. She was highly intelligent, but very practical and down-to-earth as well, the type of girl who could be as  
at ease changing a flat tire as mingling at a socialite party. She was quite the looker too, with her cascade of shiny  
mahogany curls that she usually wore tied back in a ponytail, her forest green eyes, and a complexion that reminded  
him of a gilded rose. She was extremely tall, but with her easy, unaffected grace, her height, which would have been  
ungainly on almost any other female, only made her even more stunning. And right now, she was dabbing at the corner  
of those deliciously full pink lips, wiping away the remnants of her lunch. But Nicholas Brian Steller, agent, astronomer  
and mathematician, was nothing if not patient and disciplined. If he had any inclinations towards the idea of kissing the  
food from the corner of her mouth, none of it showed on his handsome face.  
  
Lita, for her part, was mortified. 'Great, the hottest of the hot comes in, and you're covered in food...' But she forced  
herself to look up at him and smile brightly, praying to the (hopefully) benevolent gods that there was nothing in her  
teeth, "So, how are you these days Nephrite?"  
  
Nick laughed, "Pretty good, but call me Nick. I heard from Artemis that we're going to be working together on this new  
case."  
  
"Yep!" Lita said cheerfully. "The Wiseman. Serial killer. Kidnapper. The big bad wolf that all little kids are warned not to  
follow into the forest or let into their homes. Truly, from these files," She carelessly gestured towards the papers on  
her desk, "Wiseman is the stuff nightmares are made of."  
  
"Yes, I've read the reports." Nick grimaced. "Truly sick in the head, that man."  
  
"Yeah, true enough. Which makes it strange. Venus is the one who is generally assigned to deal with the most psycho  
criminals, not me. She's a psych major, and messes with people's minds like no one's business."  
  
"Yes, so I've heard." Nick gave the green-eyed woman an amused smile. "I've heard a great deal about her. I'd never  
thought that our laconic Kevin could possibly have so much to say about anything. But he speaks highly of her."  
  
"Yes, and she of him. It's quite cute that they, as well as Raye and James and Amy and Zack got together, don't you  
think?" Lita said, then blushed. WHY was she acting like some giddy teenage gossip?  
  
'And that just leaves the two of us.' Nick pondered silently to himself. Aloud, he said, "Well, it seems that our target is  
fond of intellectual and scientific pursuits, and likes to masquerade about as a professor or scientist. In various fields. I  
think that's why we were assigned to this case."  
  
"Yeah. Luna told me. I was just looking into the files of his past cases, victims, you know, the whole schpiel. To see if  
I could find anything besides graphic descriptions of how much bloodshed the creep was responsible for," Lita explained  
to her partner.  
  
"Good idea. I'm trying to see if I can detect a pattern in his attacks. And see if we could somehow anticipate his next  
move." Nick smiled down at her. She laughed slightly.  
  
"You sound like it's a complicated chess game. Amy would love you." She remarked.  
  
He arched an aristocratic eyebrow. "I believe that Zack already has that position. And I would really rather not have  
her shift her affections my way, flattering though that may be. I don't particularly think that having Zack as my enemy  
would be at all conducive to my well-being in any way."  
  
Lita laughed fully now. "True enough. But we should get to work and stop gossiping. I'll continue what I'm doing, and  
you can continue what you're doing. And we can regroup later on, see if there's anything worth noting."  
  
"Sounds like a plan. How about we meet for dinner tonight at Antonio's Italian restaurant at 7:00?" He knew he was  
taking a gamble, but figured he could always chalk up the date invitation as a means of discussing business.  
  
Lita grinned. "It's a date then!" She blushed. "I mean..yeah..that's fine..you know what I meant..." She trailed off in  
utter humiliation. Nick laughed.  
  
"Yes, it's all right. Give me your address, I'll pick you up at 7:00 tonight." He privately wondered at his own boldness.  
But she smiled, and jotted it down on a slip of paper, and handed it to him. "3510 Sylvan Park? This is quite a distance  
from the city." He remarked.  
  
She blushed slightly, "Well, I grew up on a farm, actually. I like space. Trees. Flowers. Not some apartment so high up  
that I couldn't feel the Earth under my feet. But if it's far or out of your way, don't worry about picking me up, I can   
just meet you there."  
  
Nick held up a hand. "It won't be any trouble at all, and it's understandable." His partner was something else, indeed.   
This should be a highly memorable experience. "I'll see you later tonight. Til then, take care." With that, he gave her a  
slight nod, and walked out of her office, wholly unaware of the smile playing at the corners of her mouth as her eyes  
followed him out the door.  
  
***  
  
OKAY! Done with that chapter! More coming hopefully soon!!  
  
REVIEW!!!  
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	3. Chapter 2

Oy vey...last week has NOT been fun ~.~! Sorry for the lag in updating, but it couldn't have been helped. In   
any case, I AM finally updating, and here it is!! The next chapter of Strength and a Thousand Faces!!  
  
As always, thanks to those kind and wonderful people who have reviewed.   
  
Also as always, disclaimers apply.  
  
Onwards...  
  
***  
  
At 6:30, Lita was rifling through her closet, her wet auburn hair wrapped up in a towel and her usually unruffled   
face wearing a look of slight panic. 'What to wear...what to wear...' was the thought that ran over and over   
again in her head. Narrowing her eyes, she gave herself a mental shaking. "Come on Leets, it's not like it's a date   
or anything. Just find something casual, yet flattering. Something not too girly nor too tomboyish. Something that   
both looks good and is comfortable. Something that....Oh for Chrissakes I'm acting like a freaking actress trying to   
decide what to wear on Oscar night!" Finally, she gave her head a shake, and composed herself. Walking over to   
the other side of the room, she grabbed a fencing foil. Then, she walked back to her closet, closed her eyes, and   
jabbed. The fencing foil snagged a mint green frilly blouse with quaint shell-pink ribbons lacing up the front instead   
of buttons, and Lita put it on. Then, she put on a long, comfortable khaki skirt, and flat thong sandals. Then, a   
tiny pair of gold stud earrings. As the door knocker sounded, Lita hurriedly spritzed herself with a dash of rosewater,   
and dashed to the front door.  
  
Nick had actually gotten there about ten minutes ago. He'd started out early, because he only had a very vague   
idea of where she lived. It was a good hour's drive from the city, but he found that it was quite worth the distance   
to be able to live at such an idyllic, quaint little place. There were not a lot of people here in this area. Lita's house   
was a small one, but had a large garden. It was one of those white-picket-fence, tall-oak-tree-out-front-complete-  
with-a-tire-swing, robin's-egg-blue-shutters houses out of storybooks. The lawn was neat, but not manicured-  
looking, with a tall oak tree and a row of fragrantly blooming, pink-and-white magnolias. The fence edging the walk   
was cloaked with sweet golden honeysuckle. By the house itself, there were five plots of colorful flowers. The first   
had shy spring violets, sweet lilies-of-the-valley, and tall spires of smoky blue delphiniums. The second, bright, deep  
aureate marigolds and pink-and-red bleeding-hearts against a background of snowy daisies. The third consisted   
entirely of purple and yellow irises. The fourth had fiery poppies and black tulips, the darkness broken with feathery   
sprays of silver artemisia. The last plot had elegant pink gladioli, emerald ferns, and luscious, sweet gardenias. The   
back yard, from what he could see from the driveway, was entirely planted with roses of every type and color.   
Creamy tea roses, crimson China roses, heavily fragrant damask roses, lush rambling roses, stately golden English   
roses...Nick made a mental note that Lita loved roses, then wondered why he did such a thing. Finally, after gawking   
at the carefree, dream-like beauty of the place for a good ten minutes, he walked up to the door and knocked. It   
opened to reveal his partner, and it struck Nick that her home fit her. Both the place and the person exuded an air of   
sweet, unaffected beauty that was much more enduring than the brittle splendor of cold marble mansions or the   
equally brittle beauty of diamond-dripping, silk-and-feathers heiresses. It was quite refreshing. But all he did was give   
her a heartwarming smile and offer her his arm. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Sure, let's go." Lita grinned, took his arm (what a gentleman!) and together they headed to his car.  
  
~~~  
  
The car trip there was rather long, but it gave the two of them time to get better acquainted with each other, and   
by the time Antonio's Italian Restaurant came into view, Lita had lost most of her nervousness, although her   
attraction to her partner had not diminished a bit. He was highly intellectual, cultured and very gentlemanly. And, of   
course, looked like the brawny, bright-eyed, byronic heroes on the cover of romance novels.   
  
The two ordered salad, lasagna and fettuccini, two cups of caramel cappuccino, and two servings of tiramisu, and   
as they waited for their food to arrive, they discussed their case.  
  
"So, did you find out anything new about the target?" Lita took a sip of her cappuccino. "I was poking around   
through the reports of his old cases, and there seems to be a pattern in his attacks."  
  
"Oh? And what might that pattern be?" Nick asked curiously.  
  
"Well, you know how the man operates: he poses as a scientist in a particular field, goes, gives a few lectures and  
whatnot, then impresses some naive young person with his charisma and intelligence, then offers them the 'chance   
of a lifetime' opportunity to go on some trip or seminar, after which, when the poor schmuck arrives there, gets   
directed to a godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere, ritualistically tortured, then killed. Unlike some serial killers,   
he does not particularly have a gender or appearance preference for his victims, although I notice that they're all   
people with high levels of education. Well, anyway, the pattern is, he always does a Life Sciences seminar, followed   
by a Physical Sciences seminar, followed by an Earth Sciences seminar. For instance, his 1st seminar was on Genetics,   
his second was on Nuclear Thermodynamics, his third was on Meteorology, etc. His last one had been on Quantum   
Mechanics, so it's pretty much for certain that the next one will be on an Earth science. Which plays right into   
our hands, since you are an astronomy major and I am an ecology major. As soon as we find out the details about his   
next scheme, we can just make sure to be there. Now, we just have to figure out where 'there' is going to be."  
  
Nick nodded, studying the reports that he had lain on the table carefully. All of the sudden, his eyes lit up. "There is  
another pattern here! Look, the states he's done his lectures in, they're all in reverse alphabetical order. The last   
state he did was North Carolina, Duke University. Next up is New York."  
  
Lita nodded slowly, and smiled. "So now, we search for all upcoming Earth-sciences-related seminars, lectures, etc.   
in New York, as well as try to find more patterns in his attacks. See if we can narrow it down to a few places he   
would potentially be at, and turn up at those places."  
  
"Exactly." Nick smiled. Their food arrived, and they ate in the companiable atmosphere that inevitably results from   
two people who understand each other being in the same place at the same time.  
  
~~~  
  
Two hours later, Nick found himself walking Lita to her door. As she dug in her green macrame knapsack for her keys,  
she turned to him with a gracious smile. "Thanks for a nice evening, that was fun!"   
  
Nick nodded, "The pleasure's all mine. May I call you sometime tomorrow if I find any more new leads?"  
  
"Sure, may I do the same?"   
  
"Certainly." Nick gave a somewhat awkward smile. This was not a date, so there should not be any expectation for   
a kiss at the door. What a pity...  
  
Lita hesitated a moment, then leaned over, and gave him a warm, friendly hug and a peck on the cheek. "Have a   
nice night, Nick!" She called out over her shoulder, as she walked in through her opened door.  
  
Nick smiled to himself as he walked back to his car. Yes, he would certainly have a nice night.  
  
***  
  
*Breathes deeply* Whew!! That's done with!! How do you like it so far? I hope I will be able to post more soon! In   
the meantime, Review!! 


	4. Chapter 3

Finally, more "Strength and A Thousand Faces"!! (Thalia gets pelted with rotten vegetables for her slow updates,  
and can't escape because she can't run yet).  
  
Sorry for the infrequent and slow updates, people, I know, I suck...I've just had too much to do, and moreover, I  
find Lita hard to write about...(looks up meekly) forgiveness, please?  
  
For those who reviewed, big thanks to all of you. I REALLY appreciate it!  
  
As always disclaimers apply.   
  
Oh, and the mention of the 9/11 casualty is fictional, of course. This should be obvious, but I'm saying this to make  
sure that y'all know. I just wanted to incorporate the situation of Lita's 'rents perishing in a plane-related accident.  
  
Onwards...  
  
***  
  
Lita, as soon as she had shut her door behind her, made a beeline to her beaten but comfy blue couch. She had  
picked it up, used, and in dire need of new upholstery, a few years back. And instead of getting it professionally  
reupholstered with plush or leather or silk, Mina had come up with an idea that would be much more suitable and  
homey-seeming in her little haven. The girls had all agreed enthusiastically, and had donated Lita all of their worn,  
old blue jeans, overalls, denim shorts, jackets, etc. And together, they had reupholstered the sofa themselves, and  
now, it was covered in patches of blue denim of various shades and and shapes, worn soft but durable, and the  
strange couch fit very well with the rest of her house. Plopping down on the couch, she kicked off her shoes and  
picked up a laptop that was sitting on her coffee table. Opening it up, she started to type.  
  
~~~  
  
'Patterns..patterns...patterns...' Recognizing patterns was one of Nicholas Steller's hobbies, and something that he,  
as a mathematician and astronomer, was extremely good at. Elegant, long fingers slowly flipped through a stack of  
reports and his face turned thoughtful as he scanned them for vital information...patterns...  
  
All of the sudden, his fingers paused in their descent across a printed page. 'William Rhodes...Warner Milton...Wayne  
Richardson...Wyatt Forrest...Winston Tate...Jonathan Wyndham...Bryan Westingarde...Conrad Wharton...Emmanuel  
Webb...Jeremy Wasserman...' All of Wilson Wiley's numerous aliases included a W as an initial. 'Well, that narrows it  
down a bit more. Good. Let's see if there's any more patterns...'  
  
By 2:00 AM, Nicholas Steller was smiling triumphantly. He had, through an enormous, formidable amount of analytical  
deduction, narrowed when and where Wiseman would next strike to one upcoming seminar, with a calculated rate of  
accuracy of 95%. He glanced at his watch. Hmm, it would probably be too late to call Lita, unfortunately. Even the  
his fellow agents, none of them were ever up at such an hour unless strictly necessary. And to call someone at this  
hour would only have negative reactions. Zack would have simply hung up on him, James would have launched into  
an irate diatribe, and Kevin would have listened to whatever he had to say, but give him dirty looks all week. Lita...  
he wondered if she would still be up. 'Probably not.' he thought. And he had no intention of losing the green-eyed  
beauty's good graces so soon in their acquaintance. Shrugging to himself, he went to his computer, intending to  
type an email to her about his findings instead.  
  
However, as soon as Nick opened up his email account, he was surprised to find a new email for him, sent a scant  
five minutes ago, from "Lita Woods" (woodnymph@lune.com). A dark brown eyebrow arched upward over a sapphire  
eye as he opened up the email.   
  
"Good evening Nick! It's late, so I doubt you're still up. Anyway, I have been doing some investigating on our case,  
and I think that his next strike will be at the 'Outer Space: Possible Homes for the Future?' seminar held at Cornell  
University from the 9th through the 12th of February, and he will be the speaker under the name of Gordon Wilkins.  
Do you agree, or do you have a different idea? Well, you're probably not going to get this email til tomorrow, but I  
just wanted to send it to you anyway (I'm the only one I know who's ever up at this hour voluntarily, the others  
would be making vampire jokes had they not known that garlic is one of my favorite seasonings...ha!). Oh, and I had  
a lovely time tonight with you. I guess I'll see you tomorrow or something. ~Sincerely yours, Lita"  
  
Nick's hands shifted from the computer keyboard to the phone, and quickly, he dialed her number.  
  
~~~  
  
Lita was sitting in her living room on the comfy blue couch, sipping a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and  
chocolate shavings when, surprise, surprise, the phone rang. 'Who in the world besides me is up at this hour?' She  
wondered as she picked up the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Lita, this is Nick. Is it too late to call? I just got your e-mail." His voice was as smooth and warm as the cocoa  
in her cup, sweetly caressing her ear.  
  
"Oh! Hi, Nick! It's quite all right, I just don't generally expect anyone else to be up at this hour. What are you up to?  
Is there anything you would like to talk about?"  
  
"Well, as I said, I got your email, and I just wanted to let you know that I had come to the same conclusion as you  
about where Wiseman is going to strike next. Actually," Nick chuckled, "I was just going to send YOU an email about  
it, when I got your email. I thought you would likely be in bed at this hour."  
  
Lita laughed softly, a resonant, rich but soft and mellow sound that reminded Nick of the small wooden xylophones   
that they'd played in elementary school music classes. "Funny how that worked out, eh?"  
  
"Yeah, very funny. So, now that we're fairly sure where to be, we should go about getting plane tickets." Nick said  
casually. Silence. "Lita? Are you there?"  
  
"No, let's not get plane tickets." Lita said flatly. Nick frowned.  
  
"Why ever not?"  
  
"I just...I avoid plane travel in general. I can take the occasional helicopter, but planes...no." Lita's voice had faded  
from vibrant to toneless in seconds.   
  
"Is there something the matter with planes, Lita?" Nick's voice was concerned, not condescending. Lita took a deep  
breath, before continuing.  
  
"My grandfather was in the air force for the World War II. He got bombed out of the air by the Axis. My mother grew  
up never knowing her father. My parents...they were taking a pleasure trip to New York last autumn...they....they  
were in the World Trade Center when...when...." Lita turned her face sharply away from the telephone receiver so  
that Nick wouldn't hear the incriminating choking noise she made as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Ever so  
slowly, she whispered, "It was their 30th anniversary..."  
  
Nick was quiet for a few long moments, before he said softly. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Lita. The sky must lose  
its beauty for you, then."  
  
Lita gave a rather pathetic chuckle, "Yeah, well, my family doesn't seem to have a great deal of luck when it comes   
to planes. So, please, let's not talk about plane tickets right now."  
  
Nick assented, "I'll get train tickets, then. We'll work it out."   
  
Lita smiled a bit to herself. "Thanks, Nick. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have a good night."  
  
"You too, Lita. Good night." He answered. She bid him farewell, and hung up. Nick glanced at the clock. It was now  
nearing three o'clock in the morning. Satisfied with the day's work, Nick wrapped everything up, and headed to bed.  
The last image he had before falling asleep was a pair of deep emerald eyes, fringed with feathery copper eyelashes.   
'Sweet dreams, my fair wood nymph.' He chuckled a bit at his own sentimentality as sleep claimed him.  
  
***  
  
Okay, that's done with! What do you think? Review, please!!  
  
More coming...soon, hopefully. Yeah. *Thalia grins inanely*  
  
Follow the arrow~_^  
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	5. Chapter 4

Okay, here's the next chapter of "Strength and A Thousand Faces", people!  
  
As always, standard disclaimers apply.  
  
REVIEW!!  
  
***  
  
The next day, Nick arrived at Lita's office bright and early in the morning. It was really a nice, easy-on-the-  
eyes place. Nick smiled to himself. Her office was just like her...homey without being too chintzy, not too  
formal, genuine. The floor was covered with forest green plush carpet, the walls were a pale blossom pink,  
and the window was open slightly, letting in a cool breeze that ruffled the cream-colored silk curtains that  
hung there. On the windowsill, Lita had several flowering plants: a fragrant white hyacinth, a pale yellow  
spider chrysanthemum, a crimson Mexican daisy, and a rosy-hued pink. She had a large desk of polished oak,  
with a computer, printer, fax machine and phone on top, as well as a rustic pencil holder made of driftwood,  
and a glass vase holding a huge bunch of silvery pussy willow. Along with books, her bookshelf held a large  
metal tool box, and a microscope. On her wall, there were photos of just about every landscape and climate  
one could imagine, and Nick was fairly sure that they were not taken from magazines. He sat down on one of  
the green-cushioned rocking chairs across from her desk, and smiled at the young woman facing him.  
  
"You've some lovely plants in here." He remarked, giving an appreciative glance to the flourishing flowers on  
her windowsill. Lita laughed lightly. "Oh, you should see Amy's office. I have flowers, Amy...you know, she's  
Agent Mercury, our poisons specialist. She's got, in her office, narcissus, thorn apple, castor bean, caladium,   
pennyroyal, oleander, henbane, fly agaric and monkshood. Most people who go to her office think it's a pretty   
paradise of fresh flora, until they find out exactly what those plants are and what they're used for."  
  
Nick laughed. His impression of Amy, from the little that he'd seen of her, was that she was a sweet, caring,  
unassuming type. 'Well, she HAS to be sweet-tempered to put up with Zack and not ever try to permanently  
incapacitate his reproductive system...' As if reading his mind, Lita remarked, "Amy's quite a dear, certainly  
the most cool-headed of us, I'd think. But she's also the deadliest when she's truly worked up. The absolute  
single-mindedness and iciness of her rage...well...let's just say that I wish Zack lots of luck in not pissing her  
off..." She gave another chuckle, then sobered up. "Okay, enough of that, let's get down to business. Did  
you get the train tickets?"  
  
"Yes I did. They're for next Sunday morning. This way, we can arrive there in New York a week early, and get  
settled in. We can also get ourselves registered for the seminar, stuff like that. What do you say?"  
  
Lita nodded approvingly. "That sounds fine. Let's do it."  
  
~~~  
  
A week later, Lita was walking into her train compartment, a picnic basket in one hand, a valise in the other.  
Nick was already there, sitting gracefully in the seat, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Lita set down  
the picnic basket, and swung her valise up into the overhead compartment. Nick inspected the wicker basket  
that she'd set down in front of him.  
  
"Wow!" Was all he could say. Inside the basket was a luscious wealth of food: A dozen brownies, two grilled  
chicken sandwiches with lettuce, spread with a creamy sauce of some sort and smothered with melted cheese,   
a tupperware container filled with savory mushroom quiche, still warm, another with fresh fruit salad, and a tall  
bottle of white grape juice.   
  
"I hope that you don't mind, I made us a bit of lunch, I was going to add more stuff, but I didn't have the time  
to." Lita explained. Nick goggled at her for a moment.  
  
"Mind?! Call me shallow, but I think you're now my new best friend. You know the whole thing about winning a  
man's heart through his stomach..."  
  
Lita grinned and grabbed a sandwich for herself. The rest of the train ride was fairly pleasant, as the two of   
them discussed where to stay in the city, etc.  
  
~~~  
  
That afternoon, they had arrived in New York, and with a stroke of good luck, had managed to secure lodgings  
in a flat within walking distance from the Cornell campus. The two had signed up for the seminar, as two former  
Cornell alumni now in graduate school, under the aliases of Stanley Nichols and Willow Leighton. As Nick finished   
up registering for the seminar, Lita grabbed a warm winter coat and headed for the door. "I'm going out for a   
walk, I'll be back in an hour or so, probably with stuff for dinner."  
  
"All right, I'll see you in a bit, have a nice time!" Nick answered, as Lita walked out the door.  
  
Lita, her breath coming out like tiny puffs of steam in the cold winter air, strolled through the campus of Cornell  
University. Looking every inch the graduate student, she inspected the sundial in the center of the Engineering  
Quadrangle. All of the sudden, a shadow fell over the sundial, and she looked up to see the face of a tall, thin  
man with silver-gray hair and ice-blue eyes. Dressed in a suit, he looked like a professor. Lita automatically gave  
him a disarming smile. "Good afternoon."  
  
"Good afternoon to you too, Miss..." The man's voice was soft, with a slight British accent.  
  
"Leighton, Willow Leighton." Lita responded promptly, taking a hand out of her pocket and proferring it to him.  
  
He gallantly inclined his head over her hand in a slight bow as he shook it. "A pleasure, Miss Leighton. Are you a  
student here at Cornell?"  
  
"Oh, not any more, I graduated a few years ago, but I had my undergrad here. I came because there was this  
seminar that is coming up, and I signed up for it."  
  
"Excellent." The man smiled charmingly, his pale eyes glittering on his face. "So, where are you headed right now,  
Miss Leighton?"  
  
"I'm just walking around, getting reacquainted with the place. You know, so I won't do something stupid and not  
be able to find Clark Hall the day of the conference." Lita responded lightly.  
  
The man chuckled. "A wise idea. However, I was wondering, if you would be willing, of course, to come and share  
a cup of coffee with a boring old professor. It's kind of nice to meet new people." His voice was slightly wistful. "I  
have no family."  
  
Lita felt a wave of sympathy for the old man, and readily agreed. "Sure. Where do you want to go?" She gave him  
her arm, which he took gently, and they walked to a small cafe close by. They entered, and both ordered hot  
cappuccinos, Lita's companion insisting on paying for both of them.  
  
"So, Miss Leighton, you say that you are here for the seminar, did you major in astronomy?"  
  
"No, actually, I majored in electronic engineering with a minor in ecology. But the seminar sounded interesting, so   
my friend and I both signed up for it. HE majored in astronomy." Lita explained.  
  
"Oh, that's nice. I hope you enjoy the seminar." The two had finished their cappuccinos and stood up. The man  
offered her his arm again. "Would you like a ride back to where you're staying, Miss leighton?"  
  
"Oh, that's okay, I need to stop by some other places anyway, it was nice to meet you though, Mr...?"  
  
"Wilkins. Gordon Wilkins." Lita felt the blood drain from her face as the man smiled, and she noted for the first time  
the sharp white teeth reveals in the grin. She grabbed the edge of the table to stop herself from falling. "Is there  
something wrong, Miss Leighton?"  
  
"Oh, no...nothing at all...I'm just...surprised, yes, surrpised, that's all." Lita gave a weak smile. "You're the one  
who is giving the seminar!" 'And not to mention, probably planning at this very moment how to kidnap and torture  
me before killing me.' She thought grimly.  
  
"Indeed I am." He said smoothly. Lita forced herself to keep the smile on her face, and mutter something about it  
being an honor to meet him, etc. before taking her leave, all too aware of the Wiseman's eyes following her out  
the door. Well, she had found her target...  
  
***  
  
Okay, that totally sucked, in my opinion, but whatever...I'm tired, and ff.net is evil...*scowls*   
  
REVIEW!!!!! 


	6. Chapter 5

AARRRGGHHH!!!! FF.net is an evil, horrid, annoying, abominable little %)$(^*&#@!!!! But, here is the next chapter  
of "Strength and A Thousand Faces" for your perusal and (I hope) enjoyment. *Goes off muttering things unfit to  
be written about the evils of ff.net...  
  
I'm starting my own web page, which will feature a good number of my works, including works that are not posted  
at ff.net. The URL is http://www.angelfire.com/me4/thalia/ and I would be very very happy if you would go and   
check it out!!  
  
Yeah, anyway, as usual, disclaimers apply and all that jazz. Don't sue.  
  
Here we go......  
  
***  
  
"So, enjoy your little campus tour?" Nick asked amicably when Lita walked in. Lita gave no answer, as she plopped  
down on the couch hard, causing Nick to walk over, a plate with a slice of pizza in his hand, cerulean eyes shining  
with concern. "Lita, is something wrong?"  
  
Lita gave a hollow little laugh. "Well, nothing is WRONG, per se, except for the fact that I just went out for coffee  
with a freaking SERIAL KILLER!!"  
  
The plate dropped out of Nick's hand, and would have fallen to the floor, had Lita not shot out a hand and caught  
it. Nick sat down next to Lita, pizza forgotten. "You're kidding, right?" He asked in a strangled sort of voice. Lita  
shook her curly head.  
  
"Nope, not at all. I was just strolling around through the Engineering Quad when this distinguished old professorly  
looking guy pops out and starts talking to me, then invites me to coffee. At the end of the coffee, he tells me his  
name is Gordon fucking Wilkins. Imagine my surprise and dismay. And imagine me having to COVER for the surprise  
and dismay. I'm not an adroit liar like Mina is in this sort of case."  
  
Nick was instantly alarmed. "Do you think that you will have trouble with him then? He's smart. Do you think he'll  
do something to you?"  
  
Lita was a bit shaken still, but for Nick's sake she put on a smile. "I will be sure not to let my guard down around  
him in the future. And I am fairly certain that even if he suspects something, I will be better able to take care of  
myself than, say, your average grad school student at the seminar."  
  
"True enough." Nick conceded. "But I still worry about you." His face took on a stubborn look, "Don't ever go out  
anywhere again without me." He spoke in a voice that brooked no arguments.  
  
Except Lita was never one to accept orders just like that. "Look, Nick, while I appreciate your concern I think I am  
a judge of how well I can take care of myself." She said, her voice slightly irritated.  
  
Nick arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm not trying to patronize you here, okay? I'm just trying to make sure that you  
don't end up killed."  
  
"Well, I've been in many difficult and dangerous cases before, Nick, no less than you. And though I'm flattered by  
your touching concern, I believe that I am able to take care of myself." Her voice was now decidedly nettled. "If  
you want me to never go out alone, you should do the same thing. It's only fair. I can't stand not being treated  
as an equal by someone I'm working with." She declared, lifting her chin and blazing green eyes staring challengingly  
into his own blue ones.  
  
Nick sighed, then agreed. "Fine, have it your way." So she had a temper. He made a mental note to keep that fact  
in mind. Gosh, he seemed to be making a lot of "mental notes" where she was concerned!  
  
Lita smiled beatifically, her good humor returned like the sun after a storm. "Good, I knew you'd see it my way." She  
said in a satisfied voice before sailing to her bedroom to hang up her coat.  
  
~~~  
  
The next few days gave Lita mixed feelings. She and Nick spent most of their time together, exploring the campus  
and getting to know their way around town. He was good company, a great friend and stimulating conversationalist.  
Her crush on him had not decreased, but he did not seem to have any problems with her. However, wherever they  
went, the Wiseman also seemed to turn up with a startling frequency. Oh, he was always impeccably polite, tipping  
his hat at her gallantly, asking politely for "Miss Leighton" to "be so kind as to introduce her companion". It was all  
Lita could do not to react the way she wanted to and kill the man with her bare hands whenever he came in sight,  
but she knew that she had to have substantial, concrete evidence of his crimes to be able to do anything. 'Only a  
few more days.' She would remind herself feverishly each time after she saw him, and let him pass unharmed.  
  
One morning two days before the seminar was set to begin, they went on a special excursion. Slowly, they walked out   
of the taxicab, and Lita, two dozen white roses in her hands, slowly walked up to two white crosses. Nick followed,   
close behind.   
  
"George Woods, 1942-2001. Devoted father, brother and husband. Rest in peace. June Woods, 1945-2001. Loving  
mother, daughter and wife. Rest in peace." Nick softly read the simple inscriptions on the two tombstones. Lita gave  
him a wan smile.  
  
"My parents were simple folks. Lived in the country all their lives. They were never ones for fuss or finery, just simple  
living, loving each other and looking out for the family. It didn't matter if you weren't the best or the brightest, as long  
as you tried your best and never did something malicious. I was the first in my family to go to college away from home,  
but my parents were always so proud of me. Every Christmas, when I went home from college, my mom and I would just  
spend the entire day baking pies together. And talk about classes and cute guys and anything else under the sun. And   
it was like, we weren't going to fancy restaurants to celebrate or anything like that, but that just made everything so  
much more...real. After college though, I got pulled to agent training, and besides sporadic phone calls, I never had   
time to come home and see them." Lita sighed, and gently placed a dozen white roses on each grave.  
  
"I was never like the people around us. A bunch of neighbors thought I was strange. A 'queer genius'. But mom and dad  
were always behind me, every step of the way....Oh hell, I'm one of the best goddamn agents in the country! I can  
navigate, assemble, dismantle and hotwire 75 different types of vehicles! I can brave any terrain on this planet! I can   
shoot a gun and hit a target 100 feet away through thickets and vegetation at night time while hanging upside down   
on a tree branch! I have attained high levels in different types of martial arts that most people have never even heard   
of! I know the latin names, habitats and characteristics of 2000 different organisms off the top of my head! I can   
fucking kill a man twice my size using only my index finger! And yet, I can't even protect my own parents! And, I never  
even got a chance to tell them what they meant to me..."  
  
Nick gently tilted her face up, so that she was looking him in the eye. "Yes, I know it hurts. But, there's something else  
that I think you're missing. You said that they were always proud of you. Well, they still are. Wherever they are right  
now, I think that they see you, see what a strong, beautiful, brilliant young woman you've become, and I know that   
they couldn't be more proud of you. I know that it hurts, that you couldn't save them. But you're human, and things  
like that just happen. This is why we're agents in the first place. We knew what we would be going into from the start,  
we knew the danger and work involved, but we went through with it anyway, because we want to use what skills and  
abilities we have, to stop some of these criminals." He stared into her bright green eyes. She looked like she desperately  
wanted to believe him. Nick, not quite sure of what he was doing, leant forward slightly, close enough that they were  
sharing breath, leaning his forehead against hers.  
  
"Don't be sad, Lita, you'll always be loved." he whispered softly, and then, bent to kiss her. Lita made a soft, muffled  
sound against his lips, then put her arms around his neck, returning his kiss hungrily.  
  
Neither of them noticed a stealthy figure observing them from the shadows, half-hidden behind a large tree at the edge  
of the cemetery.  
  
***  
  
Yeah...here it is...the revised version... 


	7. Chapter 6

Well, after shameful neglect, I am FINALLY updating Strength and A Thousand Faces. * Ducks rotten vegetables *. Well, I DID say I would update it this week.. ^^;;  
  
Disclaimers have always, and will always apply.  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, how do you want to do this?" Nick asked Lita. She sat on the couch in their flat, deep in thought. After a few moments of silence, she answered him.  
  
"Wiseman knows me. I've a feeling that I'm already his target, because ever since I met him, I've been putting on the oblivious act. However, I'll have to make sure that he does not notice anyone else, without giving away my real identity. I'll have to seek him out after seminars, ask him lots of questions, appear as an inquisitive little student." Lita murmured. "But, you have to help me with one thing."  
  
"And what would that be?" Nick asked.  
  
"Well, this is an astro-engineering seminar. I'll need to learn at least an undergrad astronomy major's knowledge of astronomy in a week. And this is where you come in," she winked at him, "Professor Steller."  
  
Nick laughed. She really had many different sides to her, from jaded to almost childlike. "All right then. What do you know about star classification?"  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
It was four o'clock in the morning and Lita was still awake. Just barely. Making a valiant effort to stifle her yawns, she assiduously tried to focus the telescope and her bleary eyes on the heavens. After several vain attempts, she threw down the half-complete star chart in her hand in exasperation.  
  
"Aargh! No more! I can't stand this any more! I've gone without sleep for 60 damned hours doing this! And I see NO practical application to any of this!" Sliding down the wall into a seated position, she scowled. Nick had long since gone to bed, after explaining twice the correct way of completing a star chart. At first, it had been fairly easy, but now, even after three cups of coffee in the last hour, all she wanted was.sleep.  
  
The next morning, when Nick woke up, he found Lita huddled against the wall close to the window, telescope and star chart on the floor, fast asleep. A half-wry, half-tender smile on his face, he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her bed. Kissing her gently on the cheek, he pulled the covers around her, and left her room, shutting the door gently behind him.  
  
Lita did not wake up until very late that night. When she did open her eyes, she found that she was in her room, in bed. Two minutes later, her bedroom door slammed open and she dashed out. Nick was in the kitchen, placidly eating a sandwich. He looked up when she ran in.  
  
"What time is it?!" Nick looked at her fondly. Her clothing was rumpled, her hair was mussed, and her eyes were wild.  
  
"It's 10:30."  
  
"WHAT?! I slept for an entire DAY?!" Lita yelped. Nick nodded and grinned. Her eyes widened to saucer-like size. "And you LET me?!"  
  
"Of course. When I woke up this morning, I found you fast asleep against that wall. I decided that you would be more comfortable in bed, so I put you in bed. You've been working too hard, Lita. Astronomy isn't as easy as it can seem, and you've been at it for, what, two and a half days non-stop? You need to rest. You've already learnt an adequate amount so that when the seminar starts, you won't be entirely lost. Now have a sandwich."  
  
Lita hesitantly took the roast beef sandwich he handed her. "You mean.no more astronomy lessons?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
"That's correct." He smiled.  
  
"Oh thank goodness!" Lita said fervently, a look of immense relief on her face. "Nothing against astronomy, but it's just too.spacey?"  
  
Nick laughed and reached over to ruffle her hair.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
True to his words, the astronomy that she had learnt was enough to ascertain that she understood the seminars. Lita participated enthusiastically in discussions, and made a point to speak to her target every day in order to make sure that his attention would be focused on her. Gordon Wilkins was an excellent speaker: knowledgeable, interesting, charismatic and captivating. Although this appealed to the knowledge- seeking portion of her mind, this also worried Lita.  
  
For him to be so very well-spoken and fascinating, his intelligence level must be nothing to scoff at. When the end of the seminar came around, she would have to be very careful.  
  
All too soon, it was the last day, and he would be announcing who was chosen as the 'lucky' participant in an insiders' tour of NASA headquarters and possibly helping to design a special state-of-the-art spacecraft for future missions. Lita, sitting next to Nick, clutched his hands hard to the point of pain, but he barely noticed, for he was as tense as she was. He KNEW that she had to go, but that did not mean that he had to like it; like knowing that this very special woman, whom he had come to trust and esteem very much, would be walking into deadly danger with both eyes open.  
  
"And the person whom I have chosen, after great deliberation, is Ms. Willow Leighton!" The auditorium filled with the sound of applause as Lita, a tight smile on her face, walked up to the podium to shake hands with the serial killer.  
  
* * *  
  
Okay! Done!! And the real action starts next chapter!!  
  
REVIEW!!!  
  
REVIEW!!! Click the little blue box at the bottom of this page and tell me what you think! 


	8. Chapter 7

Yes, I am once again updating this story. Be happy.  
  
Anyway, disclaimers still apply. All that jazz.  
  
Review!!  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, this is it." Lita said softly as the car drove to the designated meeting place. Nick, in the driver's seat, nodded. Lita sighed, and opened up the the passenger-side door.  
  
"Wait one moment!" Nick laid a hand on her arm. She paused, turning to look back at him. He quickly dug something out of his pocket.  
  
"Here. I bought this. For luck." he muttered, handing her a small velvet- covered box. Bewildered, she opened it up, and gasped. Nestled in white satin were a pair of hairpins, adorned with delicate rosebuds carved from pink coral. Along with the hairpins came a pair of matching earrings. She felt tears sting in her eyes.  
  
"The first itme I saw your house, I figured that you liked roses." Nick explained. Lita smiled, and put on the hairpins and earrings. "They're beautiful on you." he gave her a small smile.  
  
"Thank you." Lita said softly, before leaning forward and giving him a firm but brief kiss. Then, head held high, jade-green eyes steely with determination, she walked out of the car, and towards the waiting serial killer standing at the door of the seminar building.  
  
Gordon Wilkins gave her a wide smile when she approached, and watched with her until Nick drove away. Then, still smiling eerily, he turned to Lita. "Well, Miss Leighton, I cannot tell you how happy I am that you came. Are you happy as well?"  
  
"Oh yes, of course!" Lita replied automatically, forcing a tolerable degree of anticipatory excitement into her voice, "I am so honored that I could be given this opportunity, and very excited!"  
  
Gordon Wilkins gave her a piercing look, and his smile turned decidedly predatory. "Are you really?"  
  
Lita noticed the change in his demeanor, and became wary instantly. However, she still replied in the same cheerful voice, "Of course I am! Your seminar was brilliant, and I learnt a lot from it! Now is only an even better learning experience!"  
  
"DID you truly learn a lot from it, or were you actually spending the entire time trying to figure out how to outsmart a serial killered called Wiseman, Miss WOODS?" Lita gasped, but forced her face to remain blank and impassive. He continued, "I knew there was something off about you from the start. You were not a Cornell graduate student. I followed you that day you visited the cemetery, and heard everything you said. Do you fear airplanes, Miss Woods?"  
  
Lita obstinately refused to speak, mentally calculating how she could possibly kill him. Her cover was blown now, so she no longer had the element of surprise. "I commend you on finding me, Miss Woods. And finding out who and what I am." In an instant, Lita found a gun pointed at either side of her head. "Your life, my dear agent, will be my prize..my ultimate triumph." The Wiseman gave a sinister chuckle as he led Lita, guns still pointed at her head, to an unmarked black truck, deposited her in the backseat, tied her hands behind her back and drove away.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
An indeterminable amount of time later, the truck stopped at a forlorn little cabin in the middle of the woods. The Wiseman got out, and opened Lita's door. Yanking her out by her hair, he led her inside, a gun trained on her back the entire time. Entering the cabin, he led her down..down into a dark cellar. He untied her hands, only to immediately clap the wrists into manacles that were chained to the wall. Locking the manacles securely in place, he smiled and bowed mockingly at Lita.  
  
"Enjoy your stay here, my lovely one, it won't be long. After tonight, you will WISH that you were still chained here." With that, he left, locking the door behind him.  
  
As soon as the door was shut behind his back, Lita, who had been silent and still the entire time, immediately sprang into action. The chains on her wrist manacles were too short for her to reach up or down anywhere. Howeverk she set her face, closed her eyes and gave her head a fierce, hard toss. Then, another toss, and another, and yet another. There! The faint, tell-tale clink of metal on the ground! Kicking off one of her pumps, she felt around the ground with her food until they encountered the fallen hairpin. Picking it up with her toes, she raised her foot towards her mouth until the other end of the hairpin was grasped firmly in her teeth. Silently thanking Nick, she bent her head, and the hairpin, towards the lock on one manacle.  
  
It took a great deal of time, and both her arms and lips were sore by the time she was done, but she finally managed to unlock the first manacle. Quickly, she unlocked the other one as well with her freed hand, and then stood back to survey the scene. She needed to excape, but the door was certainly out. He would certainly be expecting that, and would simply shoot her. Now, what else?  
  
Her eyes lit upon a small window high up towards the ceiling. Hmm.it was just wide enough for her to be able to fit through, but too high up for her to open. Breaking it would certainly affect him. Looking around, she saw an orange crate, and immediately carried it to right under the window. Then, she fixed her eyes upon the chains that had held her moments ago.  
  
"I'll need to be armed." she muttered to herself. Picking up her hairpin once more, she detached the manacles from the wall, and connected the two cuffs to form a strange-looking weapon. Now that that was gone, she took her weapon and climbed onto her orange crate, opening the window and climbing out.  
  
She was free once more. And so, the game of cat and mouse began. But who was the cat, and who was the mouse?"  
  
* * *  
  
Done with this chapter! Review and tell me your opinion on it! 


	9. Chapter 8

Aren't you excited?! I'm updating this story again! Go thank Gelasia for ordering me to continue it ASAP...~.^

Do disclaimers still apply? Do you even have to ask? Do I look like I'm creative and inventive enough to be the original creator of these characters?! 

Review! 

* * *

Deep in the forest, Lita, still armed with her makeshift nunchaku and entirely alone, crowned her hair with fallen leaves and smeared her cheeks and clothing with dirt. Sneaking out of the cellar that Wiseman had locked her in had taken a bit of thinking, but was not too difficult. Now, the trick was to keep him inside his own cabin for as long as she could. To buy a little bit of time for herself, so that when he _did_ come after her, she would be prepared. 

The first thing to do, of course, was to cut off his quickest mode of transportation. Stealthily making her way towards the truck, Lita picked up a sharp stone from the ground and stuck it in a pocket. 

Quickly picking the truck's lock open with her hairpin, she made her way inside and efficiently went to work, her hands separating and cutting wires with the dexterity and the assurance of someone who had been doing something for years. Two minutes later, the vehicle was quite thoroughtly immobilized. Now, something to prevent him from continuing on foot, at least for a while... 

She looked down upon her chains. Hmm...Quickly, she separated the two chains, and slung one around the door handles. Pulling it tight and securing the ends so that the door would be locked from the outside, she took a brief moment to look at her handiwork before quickly leaving the place, her dirt-smeared, leaf-adorned figure camouflaged against the trees. 

For the rest of the night, Lita headed southward, using the shape of the trees (the side with the least foliage was north) as her guide for direction. When dawn broke, she finally reached some semblance of civilization in the form of a small town. 

Finding a pay phone, she immediately gave Nick a collect call. Within the hour, he had arrived in an unmarked vehicle, with a parcel for her. As he handed her the paper-wrapped package, he could not help but be worried for her. 

"Are you sure that you want to do it like this, Lita?" he asked for the fifth time as she inspected her new appearance in the mirror. He had taken a room at a local motel, to be close by in case she needed backup. 

"Yes, I will be fine." Lita's voice was deepened due to the use of a voice device. Wearing a mask and contacts along with a bodysuit and different clothing, she had disguised herself as a man of about 35, with tow-colored hair and brown eyes. Dressed in a flannel shirt, gloves, boots and jeans, she looked like someone who worked in construction. Completing this theme was a tool belt with nails and screws, a hammer, an exacto-knife, a spool of insulated copper wire and a pair of screwdrivers. Nick looked at her...everything was off, but there was something indefinite, something about her manner, that was pure Lita, that no amount of disguise could ever change. 

"Now, I will need the pick-up truck. Will you be fine with the motorcycle?" Lita, deep voice rumbling, asked. Nick nodded mutely. 

"Thanks. I'll go to the hardware store right now. Stay here." With that, she walked out, shoulders slightly forward and long legs moving in an almost shuffling motion so that her hips would not sway, imitating a masculine walk. She got into the truck parked outside, and drove away. Nick, standing at his window, watched her leave with a frown on his face. 

"Be safe, Lita. Please, be safe." 

~ ~ ~ 

Lita seemed to know exactly what she wanted to purchase at the hardware store. Several strangely shaped metal parts, metal-working gear and tools, a soldering iron and blowtorch, pliers and tongs, a handsaw and some pieces of wood, batteries and electrical circuitry paraphernalia. Also, strangely, two heavy-duty rolls of aluminum foil, a large jug of Drano and a water-cooler bottle. 

Paying for her purchases, she loaded them into the truck, and just as she was about to enter the vehicle and drive away, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, the Wiseman, in HIS truck, pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store next door. 'Impressive speed.' she thought to herself, keeping her head turned away from him and watching him disappear into the store through the mirrors. As soon as he had gone, she quickly went to work on his truck once more, but this time not immobilizing it. Placing a tiny, inconspicuous tracking button on the underside of the passenger-side mirror, she smiled. Now, she had him covered. 

"You can run, but you can't hide." she whispered to herself with a smile. Done with that, she went back to her truck and drove away. 

~ ~ ~ 

From morning til afternoon, Lita worked on making her 'weapon'. Nick watched, transfixed, as she wired, soldered, sawed and connected, gloved hands a blur of motion. Keeping one eye on the computer, tracking the motions of the Wiseman, Nick's face was full of amazement when Lita finally ceased working to show him her handiwork. "Is that a..." 

"Stun-gun? Yes. The voltage is just high enough to keep someone immobile but not actually seriously hurt him or her. Now, where is the Wiseman?" 

"Gone back to his cabin. I'm sure that he's noticed your disappearance by now." Nick murmured. "What to do now?" 

"Well, I'm sure that he won't be giving up on me. He basically said that I would be the pinnacle of his brilliant career. To be able to kill an agent is a big ego booster for the bastard." Lita muttered, "So, I will wait. Everything depends on whether he was tracking me or not. If he was, then he will come to seek me out. If he wasn't, he is probably waiting back in his cabin for me to make a reappearance, knowing full-well that I would, since it's my job to kill him. We shall see whose patience shall wear out first, Wiseman." she smiled thinly, "I'll be ready, in any case." 

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Wai! Another chapter, and the plot thickens! Review and let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter 9

      As college resumes and I will go back to the grind, I have been trying to finish as much of current works in progress as I can before I possibly go on hiatus until further notice. This is, of course, not what I would like to do, but as I am taking 18 Honors credits for my double-major and working up to 20 hours a week, this cannot be helped if I want to maintain a 4.0 Grade-point average. Hopefully, I will still be able to update once in a while, but I can make no promises, except that I will try to finish as many chapters of my current fics as I can before classes start next week.

            That being said, here is the next chapter of "Strength and A Thousand Faces". I hope it is to your liking, review and tell me what you think!

            Disclaimers apply. You know the drill. I don't own the characters.

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            Wiseman sat in his cabin, pale blue eyes narrowed to slits of icy fury. That thrice-damned agent...two weeks ago she was right in his palm. His trophy...his greatest conquest! Now, though he combed the neighboring towns for her day after day, she had disappeared without a trace! Now, Lita Woods was not a woman who could easily do a disappearing act, agent or not. Someone so tall and Junoesque, even if she were to wear shabby clothing and a wig or mask, was bound to get noticed. But, there were no signs of stately warrior maidens anywhere. No...stalking his prey would come to an end right now. No...now he would have to take drastic measures.

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            Lita did not hear Wiseman's maniacal laughter that morning. In the privacy of the motel room, she sat on the bed wearing a pink terrycloth bathrobe, sans disguise, her hair down to mid-back as she sipped her coffee. By her side, Nick sat, shirt open, reading the newspaper. Draining her cup, she leaned her head against him, snuggling close to his warmth. He smiled down at her, and dropped a kiss on her forehead. 

            After she had escaped from Wiseman's clutches, she had been sharing his motel room. As there was only one bed, he had gallantly offered to sleep on the floor, despite her protests that SHE was the one who was more used to sleeping on the ground from various nature excursions, etc. He had insisted, but after three nights of it, Lita noticed the dark circles under his eyes and insisted that he take the bed before he got sick. Finally, after a brief period of argument, they decided that since it was big enough, they could both use it. 

            After she had gotten over her initial nervousness about that arrangement, she found that it was...very nice. With him, warm and solid and comforting, lying next to her, she slept like an angel every night, without nightmares or sleeplessness. One morning after an especially good night's sleep, she awoke to find herself cuddled up to him, probably having rolled into his arms in the middle of the night. Unable to resist, she had leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. He awoke, and the two kissed for several more minutes. They both had the good sense not to let the kisses turn into anything more...serious...for now, at any rate. It seemed that the two of them had an unspoken agreement, that they would wait until this assignment was done, to pursue this developing attraction and perhaps cultivate it into a relationship. 

            Wiseman had not been seen in town yesterday. The tracking device that Lita had planted on his truck indicated that the vehicle had not been moved from by the cabin since yesterday. This, of course, did not mean that he could not have come here on foot, but it was somewhat more unlikely. Lita was sure that the psychopath was plotting something. Well...she would not let him get the better of her now. 

            After finishing her coffee, Lita went to the bathroom to put on her disguise for the day. Ten minutes later, the woman disappeared as a sandy-haired man stood in her place. Lita addressed Nick, "Let's order some breakfast, then we can head for town. I KNOW that Wiseman is up to something."

            Nick nodded, and headed for the shower. Lita called for room service. Fifteen minutes later, there was a soft knock and a sweet-looking girl no older than 18, with big brown eyes, a dainty nose and long black braids, dressed in a blue uniform with silver tassels and buttons and pushing a food cart, stood there when Lita opened the door. The waitress blushed slightly when seeing the tall, golden-handsome man smiling down on her. "Here's your food, sir."

            Lita grinned, unaware that her disguise was making the girl's heart do flip-flops. "Thank you, Rose," she said, glancing at the girl's name tag, "Here you go." Handing the girl cash for the breakfast as well as a generous tip, she took the trays and shut the door gently, leaving the young waitress Rose to stand there with a silly smile on her face before she pushed her cart away.

~          ~          ~

            Later that day, Lita, still disguised as a man, was walking out of the bookstore, _Metalworking Crafts by Karl Newman_ tucked under one arm. Nick was at the appliance shop next door. At that moment, Lita heard a cheerful female voice her. "Hello there, you're staying at the Weston Inn, aren't you?" The waitress Rose from that morning was standing in front of her, and she seemed quite eager to make conversation.

            "Yes, I am. You're Rose, you brought my breakfast this morning, right?"

            The girl blushed and giggled somewhat, "That's right! You remembered! What is your name, by the way?"

            "Oh, I'm Fred Kendall. It's nice to meet you. So, how long have you been working at the Inn?"

            "Oh, I just started this year...doing this part-time. I just graduated last year from high school and I want to work a bit before I start college. I want to be a music major..." Rose started chattering on. Lita smiled wryly, the girl thought she was a man, and had a crush on her. _'Well, if I WERE a man named Fred Kendall...but I'm not.'_

            "Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Kendall...sir." the girl said at last, "But I have to go home. I'll see you later!"

            Lita waved at the girl and watched as she walked to her car. Rose opened the door, and then, a piercing female scream filled the air, to be muffled a moment later, and the car tore off. Rose was obviously not driving. Lita's eyes widened, and she ran towards Nick's motorcycle. Hopping on, stun gun strapped at her waist, she streaked off after the car in hot pursuit.

            Nick emerged from the appliance shop just in time to see her zoom out of the parking lot. Hurriedly getting on the truck, he followed at her heels. Whatever she was doing...he HAD to make sure she was safe. It was a matter of life and death for him, because he loved her.

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Yeah yeah I know....cliffhangers are bad...but there's nothing you can do about it. Depending on how much time and inspiration I can have before Friday afternoon, I MIGHT be able to complete another chapter. I REALLY don't know. If I have no time, this fic will be on hiatus until further notice. I apologize, but it cannot be helped.

REVIEW!!


	11. Chapter 10

Okay! Another chapter just so I wouldn't go on hiatus with a cliffhanger and make y'all hate me…after this chapter, I will be on hiatus until further notice.

Disclaimers apply.

Okay, Read and review!!

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            "LET ME GO, you wacko!!" Rose kicked and screamed at the stranger, an old man with iron-gray hair and a maniacal gleam in his eyes, who was dragging her out of her car. She had no idea how he even got in. And where the hell were they, anyway? Her hands had been duct-taped behind her back and she couldn't escape. For a harmless-looking old man, he was brutally strong.

            He did not answer her questions, but stuffed a filthy rag in her mouth, gagging her. Rose felt bile rise in her throat as fear took over. What was going to happen to her? She had read stories of kidnappings. She would end up brutally murdered in the middle of nowhere…she had never even gotten a chance to say goodbye to her mother…

            The old man didn't seem to notice the tears springing up in her eyes, or more likely, he didn't care. Dragging her viciously out of the car by a glossy black braid. She flinched with the pain, unable to scream with her mouth gagged. Silently, the tears fell. Rose knew that she was going to die.

            She was dragged into the cellar of an dilapidated house, and chained to the wall. Then, a vest with wires and an ominous ticking clock was strapped to her body. A bomb! This couldn't be happening! Wasn't this something that only happened in movies, and certainly not to her! What had she ever done to deserve this?

            And then, the sound of a motorcyle above her. Her kidnapper, bomb activation button in hand, started at the noise. A split second before his finger pressed down upon the red button, and all would be lost, a silvery blur shot through the air with a whoosh, sending the activation button flying out of his hands. The boomerang sailed back towards the one who threw it, and Rose, startled, looked up and nearly choked.

            _Fred Kendall?!_

            The one who saved her…was the same handsome man whom she had met that morning at the Weston Inn?! Her kidnapper spun around, whipping out a gun, but Fred seemed to have anticipated the move. He drew a strange-looking implement from his tool belt and fired it a split second before the old man did. A zap, and suddenly, the old man was rooted to his spot. Keeping his stun gun fixed on the old man, Fred pulled his finger off the trigger for a brief second, allowing the old man's hands to loosen. But before the kidnapper could react, the boomerang was out once more, now knocking the gun out of the Wiseman's hands.

            "Taking to kidnapping innocents to piss me off, are you, Wiseman?" Fred, his weapon still trained on the old man, walked closer. Rose, still chained, narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Something was off. Fred lifted a hand to his head and pulled his hair upwards, and Rose would have fallen in surprise had she not been chained to the wall. His face…what seemed like his face…lifted up and off, to reveal a terribly beautiful face of a woman with wavy chestnut hair. She spat a device that looked like a computer chip out of her mouth, and when she spoke again, her voice was feminine, ringing clear and no less commanding, but certainly too high to be a man's.

            "Let her go, it's me you want." The woman continued forward, weapon still focused on Wiseman. Rose, chained to the wall, was still trying to make sense of the situation. Now…this was bordering on surreal…Wiseman looked thoughtful for a moment.

            "Let her go, and I will drop my gun and you can do with me as you wish." 

            Finally, Wiseman nodded. Eyes still fixed on the woman, he unchained Rose from the wall and pushed her away. However, he did not bother to unstrap the bomb vest or take the gag out of her mouth. "Drop your gun Lita Woods, or I'll still blow her to pieces."

            "Big words, Wiseman. You don't have the activation button." Lita fiddled with her stun gun, "This thing shoots out 200,000 volts per shot."

            "If I grab a hold onto the chit, you wouldn't dare shoot me." Wiseman gave Lita a chilling smile, "You would just electrocute her as well. And perhaps activate the bomb."

            Lita met his cold smile with one of her own. "But you forget that I can kill you without any weapons at all. This would just be the easiest way."

            As Lita and Wiseman argued, Rose edged closer and closer to the small window in the cellar. Suddenly, she noticed a slight rustle in the bushes outside, and a tiny movement. Then, she saw the booted feet of a man right by the window. Someone to rescue them! Finally having freed her hands, she took the gag out of her mouth and threw the piece of cloth out the window at the boots, trying to alert him. A moment later, a rope descended through window. Rose, sighing with relief, grabbed onto the rope and started to shimmy upwards.

            Wiseman's back was turned to Rose when she was starting to make her escape, but the girl accidentally bumped the wall with her foot as she was climbing up. At the noise, Wiseman spun around. A zap, and he was once again immobilized by the stun gun. Rose was going up…up…up…her head was no longer visible…then her shoulders…her torso…Finally, all that remained were her feet, and then, she disappeared out of the cellar entirely. 

            There was a crash, and the window, along with its frame, splintered as another person jumped into the cellar. Nick Steller, a hatchet in hand, faced his partner and their target. "Keep him immobilized!" he shouted towards Lita. She nodded, and did not release her finger from the stun gun trigger.

            "First item!" he roared upwards, and Rose, above them, threw down the water cooler bottle. "Second and third items!" Then came the bottle of Drano and the rolls of aluminum foil. Shredding the foil with his hands, Nick filled the water cooler bottle with the silvery pieces. "Final item!" A thin but strong plastic cable fell through the window, and Nick swung it into the air. He nodded at Lita, who stopped zapping Wiseman. The old man, when he stopped twitching, frantically jumped and made to move towards the cellar door, but a moment later, fell heavily to the ground as the cable wrapped around his body. Nick strode towards him, and but the aluminum-filled bottle in the serial killer's lap.

            "Your last conquest is in your arms." he sneered. Opening up the Drano bottle, he quickly poured all of the contents into the water cooler bottle, then sealed it shut.

            "Have fun in hell!" With that, Nick grabbed Lita's hand, and the two of them ran up the stairs and out of the cellar. A moment later, the sound of the explosion reached their ears. It was all over.

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Okay, now, I will officially be on hiatus. No more til further notice. I will try to update soon, but no promises whatsoever. REVIEW!


	12. Epilogue

*Digs her way out of midterms with a groan*

Oi, here is the final part of "Strength and A Thousand Faces" at long last, so you don't have to kill me...

Disclaimers apply. Blah.

REVIEW!!!

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            The tall, auburn-haired woman stepped unsurely forward towards the airplane; a big white bird, all gleaming windows and polished metal. By her side, a man walked slowly, her hand held securely in his. Nick and Lita had finished their mission, reported back to their superiors, and now, Nick was on a special mission regarding this very special woman.

            "I'm really nervous."

            And she looked it. Her gait was slower, less certain than her usual purposeful stride. She glanced at the airplane uncertainly, then managed a somewhat shaky smile for Nick.

            "It's all right, honey. I'm right here with you." He gave her hand a squeeze. "We're in this together. Do you trust me?"

            At this, she smiled. "Of course I trust you."

            "Good." Slowly, they made their way towards the airplane, and Nick opened the door. "Come on, walk in."

            Lita came to a standstill for a moment. Finally, after a moment's deliberation and a big breath, she set her teeth, and stepped in. Gingerly, she sat down in her seat and buckled herself in with the seatbelt.

            A moment later, before she could reconsider and let fears rise up, she felt Nick take her hand in his again. He had seated himself in the cockpit, and was gazing deeply into her eyes.

            "Lita, let's do this. You're a brave woman. I know you can do this." She nodded slowly, and squeezed his hand. He nodded, then started the plane.

            The plane zoomed down the runway. Lita gripped the arms of her seat, then gave a slight squeak as the plane began to ascend. "It's all right. I'm right here with you." She heard Nick say next to her. Nevertheless, she shut her eyes...

            "Come on, open those big green eyes right now, Lita."

            Slowly, nervously, she opened first one eye, then the other, and then, she gasped.

            They were soaring lazily in the heavens, sunset clouds of glorious gold and blush rose and smoky violet all around them. A few stars were visible in the sky, and underneath, there was a great expanse of dark green forest. 

            "Oh!" Lita felt her breath catch in her throat. Her eyes feasted upon the exhilarating beauty of the world all around her. "Beautiful..."

            "Yes, beautiful. Nearly as beautiful as you." Nick murmured, smiling at her. "Now, are you still afraid of airplanes?"

            Lita smiled at him. "When you're here, I feel no fear."

            "Then I'll be sure to stay for a long, long time."

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AND it's DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REVIEW!!!!!


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